Page 99 of Emergence and Ascendance

"I'm sure." I grinned, knowing my brother was a much better man than our father.

"Love you."

"Love you too, Scot."

I ended the call and stared blankly at nothing for a minute. Two days. I had two days to prepare for the biggest battle of my professional life and that battle was against my father which really fucking sucked.

And hurt…

No point in worrying about things I couldn't change. I grabbed my laptop and files from the dresser and headed toward Christian's study. I pretty much knew what my argument would be at the board meeting, I just had to organize my thoughts. But for now, I had other pressing business that required my attention. The last thing I needed was to let my other properties suffer and give my father a reason to argue that being here was messing with my focus.

I settled into a leather chair, grateful for the relaxed atmosphere. The space was cozy and quiet. I had a lot on my plate and needed to make sure I didn't drop the ball with not one single detail or my father would be all over it. I sent James a text asking if he was ready for our video chat, and when he responded with a thumbs up, I logged in on my laptop and hit connect. After I adjusted my camera so he could see me clearly, we jumped right in.

"What's first?" James pushed glasses onto his face and waited for my instruction.

"Let's start with the renovations at that resort in Thailand. Can you draft an email to our contact there? I need to check on progress and see if there are any delays."

James nodded while he typed. "Got it. What deadline would you like for their reply?"

"I need an update by the end of next week. Also, ask if they're experiencing any issues with materials or labor costs."

I watched him writing notes while I flipped through my own documents, glancing over designs for potential upgrades we discussed last month.

"Reach out to Heart Corporation. We still don't have their numbers." I shifted gears.

"Already done. I sent a follow up this morning," he said without looking up from his screen.

"Perfect. Let me know if you don't get a response and I'll call personally."

"Got you."

"Now let's work on Onyx Luxury in California."

I gave James a moment to shuffle through his files, and when he had the one he needed, I got started.

"I need an updated list of contractors who can handle the extension we've been discussing."

James nodded again. "Do you have any specific ones in mind or should I pull a list?"

"A list is best for now. Once you have that, please request updated timelines and cost estimates for each contractor's availability."

"Understood." He paused briefly while typing notes in his phone then looked up. "Anything else for Onyx?"

I chewed the corner of my lip, thinking. "Yes, find out if we have permits already approved."

James looked up and frowned. "They better have the permits approved by now."

"Should and do are two different worlds in our business but you know this."

He nodded again and typed out another note before glancing back at me. "I'll make sure everything is prioritized so you're not stressing over little details."

"Thank you. Let's also keep tabs on any marketing strategies we can implement for both locations."

"What do you have in mind?"

"For Onyx Luxury I want to focus on eco-friendly initiatives and community engagement."

"That's a good angle. What about Thailand?"

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